August is here again, and the new school year is right around the corner. As college move in day approaches it’s time to start planning and prepping for your move. Here are some tips to help you successfully move into your college dorm.
Pack Only Essentials – If your belongings don’t fit into back of an average size car then you know you are bringing too much stuff. Dormitories supply all the basic furniture , but you will just need bring the basics; bed linens, towels and toiletries, school supplies and clothes.
Coordinate With Roommate- You’ll be living with your roommate for the school year so its important to involve them in your preparations. You and your roommate might to share certain items like microwave, mini fridge or television so its important to plan ahead.
Use Storage Bins- Packing clothing and supplies in plastic storage bins will ease packing the car and hauling your items up the stairs. If you invest in bed risers storage bins can be kept under the bed with out of season clothing.
Find Out Dimensions- Talk to the residents services and find out what is provided in the dorm room. Also be sure to find out the dimensions. You will need to figure out how things must fit without overcrowding.
Need Extra Space – Dorms and apartments have limited space, especially when students are moving away from home and want to make sure they have everything they need. If you need additional space, we can help! We have many self storage locations throughout California and can help you find the perfect size storage unit for your needs.
Follow these steps to make sure your move goes smoothly! A-1 Self Storage is wishing you the best of luck this school year.
Garage sale season is here! Instead of throwing away miscellaneous items, why not have some fun and host a garage sale? Garage sales are perfect for decluttering and downsizing your house.
Pick a Date– The Fist step is to choose dates and times of your garage sale. Most people go with Saturday or Sunday mornings. You’ll get a larger crowd if you start earlier in the day, especially on weekends.
Gather Inventory – Go through every room in your house and pick up anything you haven’t used in months. Don’t forget to go through closets, attics, and garages. I’m sure you will find excellent garage sale items. Don’t underestimate the value of what you find, you may be surprised what people end up buying.
Place Ads – Put up flyers and bulletin boards in your community. Make sure the sign is legible, also consider drawing arrows on the signs to help guide customers to your yard sale. Be sure to check with your city and see if they require you to have a permit to run a garage sale. Don’t forget to spread word of mouth; tell your co-workers, friends, family and even consider posting a craigslist ad about your yard sale.
Get supplies – Make sure you have everything you need at least a day before the garage sale. You will need chairs to sit on, table or a place to take payments and provide change.
Sort & Price your items – Sort your items before you price. Divide all your items by category such as clothes, books, home goods. After you sort and organize items it’s time to price them! You can use plain stickers and a sharpie to make your own price tags.
Most importantly have some fun with your garage sale! Comment and let us know if you have any garage sale tips and tricks you would like to share.
You are all ready to leave the house when you suddenly realize you don’t have your keys! Does this sound familiar? Searching for misplaced items could set your day back and leave you frustrated. According to U.S. News and World Report, the average American spends one year of their life looking for lost or misplaced items. Do you want to be able to find your personal belongings within seconds? We will provide you with handy tips that will prevent you from loosing important items.
Keep Spaces Clutter Free – This will help you see your missing items easily. You’ll be less stressed finding things when your environment is organized and clean.
Create a Landing Zone – This is an area where you will drop off your personal belongings as soon as you enter your home or office. This is also where you will pick up your items before you head out. Have a designated area like a tray, bowl, basket, or even a wall-mounted key holder.
Keep Spares – Keep things like spare keys and spare glasses in one assigned place in your house. This will help alleviate stress when you are in desperate need.
Use Apps to Find Phone – Install Find My iPhone or Find My Lost Phone on your smartphone. This app will allow you to track the location of your smartphone or tablet.
How do you stay organized? Let us know in the comments below!
Packing a moving truck can leave you puzzled and frustrated if you don’t pack it the proper way! If you hire a moving company, you won’t need to worry too much about how to pack a moving truck correctly. Although, if you rent a moving truck and plan to load up the truck yourself, follow these tips to help make your move easier.
Be prepared with moving supplies- Purchase several moving boxes of the same size to make stacking in the moving truck easier. If you are renting a truck, ask about renting dollies and moving blankets as well.
Dissemble Anything You Can – It’s important to break down anything you can because your items will fit in your moving truck much easier. It is time consuming to take a part and put back together things like bed frames or tables. To save yourself trouble tape the the pieces together to guarantee that all the parts arrive together.
Load Heaviest Items First – Large appliances and furniture should go into moving truck first and be against the back wall. Place moving blankets on top of the appliances and furniture to prevent any dents or scratches.
Line Mattresses Along The Sides- Before you load any mattress in you need to take a part your bed frame. Stand Mattresses and box springs along the side walls.
Load Mirrors And Pictures Properly- Big picture frames and mirrors can break easily especially if placed in the back of a truck. Protect your mirrors and pictures by sliding them in between mattresses. Don’t forget to wrap them up before placing them in the truck.
Keep Valuables With You- If there is anything you will not tolerate the chance of it getting damaged make sure to pack it in your car with you. Keep important papers and jewelry out of the moving truck and keep it somewhere safe with you.
Use Straps – To protect all of your items use packing straps to keep items safe and secure. It is very likely that your items will shift in transport if you don’t strap them down. Rather than strapping it all at the end it’s highly recommended to strap down sections at a time.
Follow these tips to ensure that your moving process goes much smoother and efficient. Please leave us a comment if you have additional tips you would like to share.
Is this your your first time using self storage? Are you wondering what to do first? If you have never used self storage before the process can be overwhelming. Don’t get too worried yet, we are providing with the essential guide to first time renting a storage unit. We will also provide you with some of the best questions we recommend you ask when visiting self storage locations:
Where Do I Start? First it’s important to find the best location. You want to find a storage facility that is close to your work or home so it’s easy to access. Start by doing internet research to see which ones to consider that are near by. Then it’s recommended that you call or visit the store. Make sure you ask the onsite manager if you have any questions.
What Size Do I Need? Storage units come in various sizes. So if you aren’t sure which size you will need first start on the storage websites unit size guide. If you still can’t figure out which size now would be time to call one of the managers or store associates! They can help take inventory on your items and recommend a unit size that fits your needs.
Below are additional question you might want to ask for the first time renting:
When are you open and how often can I access my things? First you need to determine how often you are going to want to access your belongings. Make sure to ask the storage facility not only what their office hours are, but what their access hours are too. Some units may have 24/7 access, while others may not. Be sure to get the exact hours on the unit you are looking to rent.
How often is the facility cleaned? Make sure to ask how often they clean their facility, including pest control. You want to make sure that the storage facility makes cleanliness a high priority. The last thing you want is to open your storage unit door and see dust build up and a roach infestation.
How far is my storage unit from the loading area? Once again, this may be more important for others, depending on how often you plan on moving and removing items from your storage unit. Make sure to ask if they have elevators for upstairs units and flatbed push carts to load your stuff onto. It is a good idea to view the unit and see how far the walk is from the loading zone.
What systems do you have in place to protect my belongings? Naturally, the biggest worry you will have is whether or not your precious belongings will be safe or not. Make sure to ask what sort of security they offer. Do they have security camera’s, a gate or door with a code, climate control, etc.?
Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you want. The number one goal is for you to feel comfortable storing your belongings with that facility. Make sure to ask these questions and you will be well on your way to finding a storage unit that fits all of your needs.
August is here again, and the new school year is right around the corner. As college move in day approaches it’s time to start planning and prepping for your move. Here are some tips to help you successfully move into your college dorm.
